Information Architecture

What is Information Architecture (IA)?

Information Architecture is the art and science of organizing and labelling websites, to support usability and findability. It is the hierarchy of content on a site or the nesting of items within items.

Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it.

- Jared Spool, User Interface Engineering

8 Principles of Information Architecture

The eight principles of information architecture were proposed by information architect, UX designer, consultant and speaker Dan Brown. These principles are a great starting point for creating or assessing the structure of your site.

1. The principle of objects

Different content has different attributes.

Identify all the content types (images, text, videos, pages, posts, etc.) and treat them as evolving things each with its own lìfecycle, behaviors, and structure. The architect needs to define and understand the nature of these when embarking on a structure.

2. The principle of choices

Keep your options focused.

Create pages that offer meaningful choices to users, keeping the range of choices available focused on a particular task and, therefore, relevant to the user. Too many options can be worse than too few as users can become bogged down, and even paralysed with indecision when overloaded with choice.

3. The principle of disclosure

Show only enough information to help people understand what they need.

Once they appreciate the nature of an option they can pursue it or not as desired. Present information in layers. Show the information progressively. Limit information to allow people to better absorb it.

4. The principle of exemplars

Display examples instead of abstract concepts.

Using examples to represent each category helps users to understand the category's contents better than any description. Images can be especially useful and expressive in this context.

5. The principle of front doors

Treat every page of your site as a Landing Page.

Tell visitors where they are and what other related content they can find on your site. Not all users will enter your site at the home page so don’t construct your site for just those that do. Give people who arrive at other pages the chance to view useful information and navigation aids from wherever they come on board and try to make your site accessible from wherever they land.

6. The principle of multiple classification

Incorporate different classification schemes.

People have different ways of looking for information. Provide different ways for users to search the content on your site. Using search and top-level menus are two ways of doing this, but some users might wish to browse or move through the hierarchy so make sure your information architecture meets their need.

Do not mix different navigational systems. Keep your navigation aids consistent.

You can use more than one system, but each should be focused on one way to navigate. Make sure your menus relate to the same areas and don’t mix subjects and confuse the user. If you are producing a menu of department resources don’t drop college level content into it. If the menu is for navigational purposes, don’t include calls-to-action in it.

8. The principle of growth

Organize your content in a way that allows it to grow over time.

Consider what content may be added in the future without the need to redesign the entire structure. The content you start off with will only be a small fraction of the content you will acquire so your site needs to be scalable. Give it room to grow and develop organically and by addition.